When Life Changes Overnight
Early this morning, just two blocks from my house, a fire tore through my neighborhood.
There were reportedly no human injuries, but at least three of the homes were gutted and dozens of people were displaced.
These folks are my neighbors. They had to flee their beds in the middle of the night with only the clothes they were wearing, and watch helplessly as flames engulfed their homes. I cannot imagine how afraid they were, or how sad and worried they must feel to have lost their homes and possessions.
This could happen to any of us, at any time.
My own parents had to rebuild their home after a fire in 2015. I know how devastating it can be losing family heirlooms, vital documents, photos, and more. And how long it can take to rebuild.
Good planning can’t stop a fire from happening, but it can change what happens next.
While some things are simply not replaceable, proactive planning can go a long way toward making you whole after a disaster.
Ask yourself:
Do you have a home inventory? If everything disappeared tomorrow, would you even know what you lost?
👉 If not, do this ONE thing today: grab your cell phone and take 360 degree videos of each room in your house. It will only take a few minutes, and that footage could help you come up with a basic inventory later.
Do you have the right level of home insurance coverage? Does it specify Actual Cash Value (a.k.a. “yard sale value”) or Replacement Cost? (cost to buy it new.)
Are your most important vital documents and photos available in digital format, and saved somewhere besides your home computer? For example, a cloud-based service?
Do you know what support you’d need to rebuild? Think restoration services, hauling, move management, organizing, etc.?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, you are not alone. But please don't wait for tragedy to become your teacher. Reach out today. I can guide you through creating a preparation plan that might one day save what matters most.
The time to prepare isn't when smoke fills the sky. It's now.
